Shanahan to meet with Bills next week
Posted by Anthony Stalter (11/19/2009 @ 9:10 am)
According to a report by NFL.com, former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan will meet with the Bills next week to discuss possibly coaching in Buffalo in 2010.
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher also is high on the Bills’ list of candidates, but at the moment, they are focused on Shanahan, who guided the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships in the late 1990s but was fired after last season.
There’s also strong speculation that the Redskins are pursuing Shanahan to replace Jim Zorn as their coach after the season. However, according to the source close to the Bills, Shanahan is intrigued by the “low-maintenance” situation he would have in Buffalo as opposed to Washington.
The Bills, the source said, are willing to offer whatever salary is necessary to land a high-end candidate such as Shanahan and would give him total control of the football operation, something Wilson has generally been opposed to doing in the past. Adding to the job’s attractiveness, according to the source, is the fact the team is in solid financial shape and not burdened by any dead salary-cap money.
“This is his (Wilson’s) last coach and (he) is going to do everything it takes to get it right,” the source said of the 91-year-old owner.
Shanahan would absolutely be the right choice for the Bills. They need someone to start over from scratch and blow up the roster and Shanahan has experience putting teams and coaching staffs together.
If the Bills hire another hotshot coordinator, they’ll likely need a new head coach again in 2-3 years. They need someone that can demolish the roster and start fresh. It may take a year or two before the Bills are competitive again, but Shanahan would eventually get them on the right track.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Bills interested in Mike Shanahan
Posted by Anthony Stalter (11/18/2009 @ 5:30 pm)
According to a report by ESPN.com, the Bills are interested in hiring former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan to replace the recently fired Dick Jauron.
Buffalo has contacted and is in the process of arranging a meeting with former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, according to two NFL sources.
Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Broncos, is said to be willing to listen to the Bills. He has said in the past that he is determined to return to the NFL next season.
While Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Broncos, is viewed within the Bills organization as a desired candidate, there are other names at or near the top of the team’s wish list.
For now, the Bills have appointed defensive coordinator Perry Fewell as interim head coach. Fewell is well-respected within the organization and will be given every opportunity to earn the full-time job.
The Bills also will investigate options expected to include Florida Tuskers coach Jim Haslett and New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, both of whom has ties to the Bills.
Hiring Haslett would be a lateral move for the Bills. They need someone that will scout the players and coach them on the field; they don’t need another person like Haslett or Jauron that would be better suited for a coordinator role.
But someone like Shanahan is exactly the type of person the Bills should be thinking about because the team needs to be blown up from the coaching staff down to the players. They need to bring a bulldozer to that place and start over from scratch and Shanahan is the type of guy who could build a team from the ground up. If Shanahan wanted complete control, then the Bills should have no problem giving it to him.
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Bills fire head coach Dick Jauron
Posted by Anthony Stalter (11/17/2009 @ 3:14 pm)
According to NFL.com, the Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Dick Jauron after starting the season 3-6.
Defensive coordinator Fewell Perry is expected to become the Bills’ interim head coach, a Bills source told NFL.com’s Vic Carucci.
In just short of four seasons with the Bills, Jauron compiled a record of 24-33 (.421 winning percentage). The Bills failed to make the playoffs in each season under Jauron. Buffalo has not made the playoffs since 1999, the longest active streak for a non-expansion team.
On Monday, defensive end Aaron Schobel questioned the Bills’ lack of direction with seven games remaining in their season.
“It’s embarrassing,” said Schobel, the longest-tenured player on the Bills roster, a day after a 41-17 loss at Tennessee dropped Buffalo’s record to 3-6. “I mean, we’re technically, mathematically still in it, I guess, but it’s like what … are we doing here?”
Speaking within earshot of several Bills officials near the entrance of the locker room, Schobel expressed his frustration, but stopped short in explaining what he thinks the franchise’s problems are by saying: “That’s about all I can say without saying what I want to say.”
Terrell Owens posted this on his Twitter page roughly about the same time the news broke:
Wassup everytweeter? It’s a beautiful day n the neighborhood here n good ‘ol Buffalo!
Now, that could be a genuine statement by T.O. but then again I don’t know how many beautiful days there are in Buffalo in the middle of November. So my guess is that Owens is a fan of this news.
Jauron did nothing to help the Bills succeed over the past couple years and it was painfully obviously that he wasn’t moving the team in the right direction. They got off to a hot start last year but fell apart shortly thereafter because opponents started to figure out ways to stop Trent Edwards (which isn’t hard) and Jauron and his coaching staff never made adjustments.
I’m sure he’ll catch on as a coordinator or assistant somewhere next year, but he’s likely done as a head coach at the NFL level.
The Bills are similar to the Browns in that they need a complete makeover, starting with the front office down to the players. I highly doubt Perry Fewell is the answer, which means Ralph Wilson needs to get to work on finding a permanent replacement in the offseason.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Posted in: NFL
Tags: 2009 NFL Week 11, Bills fire Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Bills rumors, Dick Jauron, Dick Jauron Bills head coach fired, Dick Jauron fired, Headlines, NFL coaching firings 2009, T.O., Terrell Owens, Terrell Owens twitter

Chris Johnson is sick; T.O. is a turd
Posted by Anthony Stalter (11/15/2009 @ 8:44 pm)

Chris Johnson rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries on Sunday, while also adding nine receptions for 100 yards to help the Titans crush the Bills, 41-17.
Johnson turned simple screen and dump off passes into highlight reel plays and also gained 32 yards on an option pitch. Since Vince Young re-entered Tennessee’s starting lineup, Jeff Fisher’s coaching staff has done a nice job of finding creative ways to get Johnson the ball. He’s racked up 1,091 rushing yards on the season, which is tops in the NFL.
While Johnson was doing everything to help his team win, Terrell Owens was being a distraction to his. He did catch an eye-popping three passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, but he also got into a screaming match with one of his coaches and apparently was slapping people high-fives to the crowd behind the Bills’ bench near the end of the game. What he was celebrating about and whom he was celebrating with are both unknown, although he did go to college in Tennessee so maybe he saw one of his old roommates.
Trent Edwards misfired on several passes to T.O. throughout the game and therefore Owens must have felt that because of that, he didn’t have to pursue Tennessee defenders on two separate interceptions in the second half. One of the interceptions was T.O.’s fault too, as he let the ball slip through his stone-hands.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported after the game that Owens might be trying to get cut. Hopefully the Bills keep him and make him rot in Buffalo for the rest of the season.
Posted in: NFL
Tags: 2009 NFL Week 10, Anthony Stalter, Bills Titans score, Bills vs. Titans recap, Buffalo Bills, Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson Titans, Headlines, NFL scores, nfl week 10 scoreboard, T.O., Tennessee Titans, Terrell Owens, Terrell Owens fights with coach, Terrell Owens sucks, Vince Young

NFL Week 9 ROY Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (11/15/2009 @ 9:00 am)

The first three players on this list were on bye last week, so we have to hold their places. Other than that, there have been quite a few impressive rookie performances this year so far…
1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Seven picks leads all rookies and earned Byrd NFL defensive rookie of the month for October. What does he do for an encore? Vince Young might find out this Sunday in Nashville.
2. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—He may have learned that the NFC West is not the Big Ten, but that hasn’t stopped Laurinaitis from making a lot of tackles. His 46 solo tackles leads all NFL rookies.
3. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—One of the reasons Brad Childress is in line for coach of the year is that he foresaw Brett Favre and Percy Harvin making beautiful music together on the field, despite what all the critics were saying.
4. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles—His 115 all-purpose yards against Dallas was, dare we say it? Westbrook-esque.
5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—As if opposing defensive coordinators were having trouble sleeping while scheming for DeSean Jackson, now they have this kid to worry about too.
Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Knowshon Moreno, Broncos; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; Mike Wallace, Steelers
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Big 10, Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Brian Westbrook, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, DeSean Jackson, football, Hakeem Nicks, Jairus Byrd, James Laurinaitis, Jeremy Maclin, Johnny Knox, Kansas City Chiefs., Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, Michael Oher, Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings, Nashville, National Football League, New York Giants, NFC West, NFL, NFL rookie of the year, NFL rookie of the year power rankings, Ohio State, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Succop, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Vince Young

NFL Week 8 ROY Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (11/08/2009 @ 9:00 am)

The one guy we were neglecting so far was Minnesota’s Percy Harvin, who has slowly and quietly started to put up numbers and become a favorite target of Brett Favre. This is a guy Brad Childress took a big gamble on that so far is paying off. But Byrd and Laurinaitis are holding strong.
1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Two more picks for this safety out of Oregon against the Texans, and now Byrd is tied with Darren Sharper for the NFL lead. That’s amazing in itself, but consider which team this guy plays for and it’s even more remarkable.
2. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—Seven more tackles against Detroit…okay, we know, it’s Detroit….still, what Byrd has done to this point is slightly more impressive.
3. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—Becoming a favorite target of Brett Favre, caught 5 more passes for 84 yards and a score in Green Bay.
4. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles—Filled in quite admirably for Brian Westbrook Sunday, slicing through a suddenly sieve-like Giants’ defense.
5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—Everyone on the Eagles had a field day against the Giants, this rookie included (4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD).
Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Knowshon Moreno, Broncos; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; Mike Wallace, Steelers
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Brian Westbrook, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Darren Sharper, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, Jairus Byrd, James Laurinaitis, Jeremy Maclin, Johnny Knox, Kansas City Chiefs., Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, Michael Oher, Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, NFL rookie of the year, NFL ROY power rankings, Oregon, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rookie of the Year power rankings, Ryan Succop, St. Louis Rams

NFL Week 7 ROY Power Rankings
Posted by Mike Farley (11/01/2009 @ 9:00 am)

Remember the name Jairus Byrd, because he just jumped on this list…and don’t rule out Michael Crabtree, who had a very impressive NFL opening game against Houston last weekend.
1. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—Four more solo tackles against the Colts last Sunday, so this kid has done nothing to hurt his standing.
2. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—This safety has been flying under our radar, but he was chosen as the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month for his 15 tackles and (yikes) 5 interceptions in October alone. Wow.
3. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos—The bye week should have this young stallion rested and ready to face two daunting defenses in the Ravens and Steelers coming up. Can he handle it? Time will tell.
4. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants—Did you see that lucky grab and run for a score Sunday night? Maybe it was more than luck…it was being in the right place at the right time, football instincts that can’t be taught. And along with Byrd, Nicks won NFL offensive rookie honors for October.
5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—This rookie has become a new favorite target of Donovan McNabb, and had 5 more catches Monday night against Washington.
Honorable mention: Matthew Stafford, Lions; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens
Posted in: NFL
Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Donovan McNabb, football, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jairus Byrd, James Laurinaitis, Jeremy Maclin, Johnny Knox, Kansas City Chiefs., Knowshon Moreno, Matthew Stafford, Michael Crabtree, Michael Oher, National Football League, New York Giants, NFL, NFL defensive rookie of the month, NFL offensive rookie of the month, NFL rookie of the year power rankings, NFL ROY power rankings, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, power rankings, Ryan Succop, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins

How much longer until T.O. tries to ruin Trent Edwards’ life?
Posted by Anthony Stalter (09/27/2009 @ 9:30 pm)

Zero receptions, 0 yards, 0 touchdowns. That was the stat line for Terrell Owens in the Bills’ 27-7 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
For the season, T.O. has five catches for 98 yards and one touchdown, which are rather pedestrian numbers for one of the best receivers in the league.
Don’t think for a second that Owens is going to let this fly. He figured that when he signed with the Bills this offseason, that he would be the center of their offense. But so far, he isn’t even quarterback Trent Edwards’ fourth option in the passing game.
When asked about Edwards’ decision-making following the loss, T.O. said: “I don’t want to answer that, because whatever I say you guys are going to turn it into however you want to say it.”
Don’t worry T.O., because we can still read between the lines. You’re pissed off and don’t like the play calling. You don’t think Edwards is making wise decisions and you want to have a bigger role in the offense.
Eventually, Owens will say all of this himself. If Tony Romo couldn’t keep him happy, then Edwards sure as hell won’t. I don’t blame the Bills for taking a shot on him in the offseason (what did they have to lose?), but they’re about to see the real T.O. emerge soon if he continues to be a ghost in their offense.
As for the Saints, it was nice to see Pierre Thomas rush for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. As long as he’s healthy, he needs to be a part of their offense, especially on a day where Drew Brees (16 of 29, 172 yards, 0 TDs) looked human.
Hopefully Sean Payton won’t shelve Thomas once Mike Bell is healthy again.
Posted in: NFL
Tags: 2009 NFL Week 3, 2009 NFL Week 3 scoreboard, bills, Buffalo Bills, Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints, nfl week 3 scores, Pierre Thomas, Saints, T.O., t.o. trent edwards, Terrell Owens, Trent Edwards

Ledois McKelvin’s lawn vandalized following Bills’ loss to Patriots
Posted by Anthony Stalter (09/16/2009 @ 7:00 am)
Leodis McKelvin has had a rough couple of days.
First he played a key role in the Bills’ 25-24 loss to the Patriots after fumbling a kickoff that led to the eventual game-winning touchdown, and then he came home to see that his lawn had been vandalized.
From WKBW:
Eyewitness News cameras caught up with McKelvin’s neighbor, who was mowing the lawn to remove the painted words. The neighbor noted that a phrase including the words “take a knee” was painted on the grass.
In a Twitter message sent to fans who follow him, teammate Kawika Mitchell tweeted, “A teammate of ours had his house vandalized last nite or this morn. Its def not a game to b playin. W/ all the safety issues n the NFL…”
How stupid and ridiculous can people get? McKelvin definitely has had more good games than bad since being selected in the first round of last year’s draft and he shouldn’t have to worry about fans vandalizing his property when he makes a mistake. I’m sure nobody feels as bad as he did after the game.
Here’s hoping that Leodis finds those responsible and burns a big middle finger into their lawns.
Fired coordinator takes shot at Jauron
Posted by Anthony Stalter (09/07/2009 @ 9:00 am)

Following his firing over the weekend, former Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert took a parting shot at head coach Dick Jauron.
From ESPN.com:
“He wants a ‘Pop Warner’ offense,” Schonert said in a phone interview with WIVB. “He limited me in formations, and limited me in plays. He’s been on my back all offseason.”
Both quarterback Trent Edwards and receiver Lee Evans supported the move after the team returned to practice Sunday to start preparing for its season opener at New England on Sept. 14. Both indicated players had voiced their concerns about the offensive sputters to coach Dick Jauron, who ultimately made the decision to fire Schonert on Friday.
“I think everybody had concerns about it,” Evans said. “I think the basis of it was that things weren’t getting done the right way. And that was the cause of the change.”
Well that’s a good way to get yourself hired by another team, Turk – burn down bridges. The Bills offense has been anemic this preseason and if the players support the move, then it’s hard to criticize Jauron for his decision to let Schonert go.
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